Kelly’s chief defense lawyer,
Kitamura told the
“Kelly was not involved at all,” Kitamura said.
Kelly, who sat quietly with the defense lawyers wearing his usual red tie and dark suit, pleaded innocent at the opening of the trial a year ago. In closing remarks, he reiterated he had been just trying to find legal ways to pay Ghosn after retirement.
“I was not involved in a criminal conspiracy, and I am not guilty of any crime,” Kelly said, standing before the panel of three judges at the end of the session.
Reading from a statement, he said he always consulted Nissan lawyers to make sure all efforts to retain Ghosn were legal and acted in the company's best interests.
“I believe that the court will reach the same conclusion as the defense after a fair review of the relevant evidence in this case,” he said.
Earlier in the daylong session, Kitamura, known for winning acquittals in a nation with a conviction rate higher than 99%, argued there was "no motive at all for Kelly to carry out such an illegal act.”
“Greg Kelly is a lawyer. Even if he had wanted to prevent
Kelly, an American, was in semi-retirement in the
At the center of the case is a
Prosecutors say that money, totaling about
In wrapping up their arguments last month, prosecutors demanded two years in prison for Kelly. A verdict is not expected until March.
Critics of
Ghosn told The Associated Press in a recent interview he believes there was a conspiracy, concocted by officials at Nissan who feared greater control by French alliance partner
“Greg is paying the price of his honesty and his being straightforward,” Ghosn said of Kelly. “He is the only person who isn’t lying in the process.”
After Wednesday's session, Kelly told reporters he had not spoken with Ghosn, but he loved Nissan and he wasn't going to worry about the verdict.
“I know what happened. Others know what happened. We’ve got documents that show what happened. And there was no crime. So ultimately, you know, my family or my friends, they know me. They know who I am. So what do I care about the rest? I mean, they know I didn’t commit a crime," he said.
In a sign that Kelly is gaining support back home,
“The No. 1 responsibility of an embassy and an ambassador is to make sure the safety, and ensure the safety, of a
“You have my word,” Emanuel said.
Hagerty, ambassador to
Nissan, the automaker behind the Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, did not fight charges in the same trial as a corporate entity.
Separately, two Americans extradited from the
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